The Forgotten Tide: Rebirth Before the Pirate Era

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the dense jungle that surrounded the ancient ruins of Veyra. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures awakening from their slumber. Kaizen moved silently through the undergrowth, his senses heightened, every rustle of leaves and snap of twigs underfoot drawing his attention.

Lio trailed behind him, his usual chatter subdued by the oppressive atmosphere. "Are you sure about this? That map looked ancient, and these ruins… they give me the creeps."

Kaizen didn't respond immediately, his gray eyes scanning the darkness ahead. He felt it—an undercurrent of energy, faint but undeniable. This place held secrets, whispers of a past long buried by time.

They reached a clearing where crumbling stone pillars stood like silent sentinels. Symbols carved into their surfaces glowed faintly under the moonlight, unfamiliar yet oddly familiar to Kaizen. His hand brushed against one, and a sudden surge of images flashed through his mind—battles, kingdoms falling, a figure cloaked in shadows standing amidst chaos.

He staggered back, breathing heavily.

"Kaizen?" Lio's voice was filled with concern.

"I'm fine," Kaizen lied, steadying himself. "We need to keep moving."

They descended into the heart of the ruins, torchlight casting flickering shadows on the moss-covered walls. The air grew colder, the silence broken only by the sound of dripping water. At the chamber's center stood an altar, upon which rested an artifact—a sphere pulsating with dark energy.

As Kaizen approached, voices echoed in his mind, not his own memories but remnants of something older, something ancient.

"The vessel has arrived. The forgotten tide awakens."

His hand hovered over the sphere, hesitation gripping him. Lio stepped forward. "Maybe we shouldn't…"

But it was too late. Kaizen's fingers brushed the artifact, and a surge of energy erupted, throwing them both backward. Darkness enveloped Kaizen, and within it, he saw a vision—the world engulfed in flames, shadows consuming everything, and at the center, a figure with eyes like his, standing amidst the ruin.

When he awoke, Lio was shaking him. "Kaizen! Are you okay? You were out cold."

Kaizen sat up, his heart pounding. The artifact was gone, disintegrated into ash. But something had changed within him. He could feel it—a fragment of power, ancient and dangerous, now a part of him.

As they left the ruins, Kaizen knew one thing for certain: the past was not as distant as he had thought. And his connection to it was deeper than he could have ever imagined.